QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 22, 2013 -> 05:30 PM)
Were Howry, Foulke, Damaso Marte, Shingo Takatsu, Jenks (as a reliever and not a starter), Matt Thornton (as a reliever and not a starter), Sergio Santos (as a reliever and not a SS) or Hector Santiago ever #1 prospects?
The irony is the most ballyhooed closer prospect was Koch, who was the biggest failure for the SOX. Tom Gordon and Dustin Hermanson were also once top 50 prospects in the game, but that was earlier in their careers as starting pitchers.
And the other key difference is the team's top priority going into 2014 realistically isn't competing for the division crown, like it still was when Reed assumed that role....unless something changes dramatically in the next 9 months that we've seen no sign of yet from the new Hahn/JR administration.
The point is there's no reason in our recent history to believe we don't have another closer who will be even better sitting somewhere in the minors....whether it's Webb, Santos Rodriguez, Petricka, Simon Castro, Rienzo, our 2nd draft pick this year, Hansen, he's undoubtedly already there and we just don't realize it yet.
And there is no guarantee any of those could step in and be a good closer next year (Petricka? Really?)
Thornton and Santiago were terrible closers.
Shingo was brought over from Japan, so it's not like was an unknown.
Really, the only two you can point to are Jenks and Sergio.